Anyone who is honest admits to moments of doubt. Is God really out there? Does he give a rip about me? Unless I’m wrong, these are common questions that creep into all our finite minds. It’s a universal human experience. As such, doubt is natural and is no way the opposite of faith. Instead, it is an important part of faith and plays a role in our journey to find truth. In fact, doubt is healthy if it moves us to further reflection and study.

“There lies more faith in honest doubt than in all the creeds.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson“Only God and certain mad men have no doubt.” – Martin Luther

Advertisements

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

3 Responses to “Doubt it”

“Lord, help me overcome my unbelief.” How many times have I marvelled that God saw fit to have Mark’s account of the seizuring son/believing father endure the centuries? An acknowledgement from the Holy Spirit that God understands our “who can know it” hearts – and, as is His Way – He is willing to complete the circuit despite our inexact measures of faith … and give us MORE faith! From his position as the ONLY source of Pure Love, Pure Truth, Pure Life, He ALONE knows me … and He still loves me?!! Such amazing love only causes me to long more passionately for a deeper walk with Him.

Too often, the response to doubt is condemnation and shame. So, instead of being embraced as part of the journey with the potential to ignite growth and an opportunity for a searching soul to be encouraged by the community and journey forward together, a community may step back and avoid. Instead of normalizing this real part of our faith and embracing the brother or sister, we may treat them as if they have a contagious disease. At our core, another’s doubt may hit on our own questions that we have swallowed for fear of falling away. I think you express it well when you say that there is a healthy context for doubt, and that is one that “moves us to further reflection and study.” The presence, love and grace of the community in such times is paramount. We are simply not meant to journey alone. And sometimes, it is our job to lovingly hold on to the “Anchor” for another, until they can again rest in a place of knowing that the “Anchor” has not drifted from them.

re: the random-ness

Ok...so you've located the place where I put down my random thoughts. The key word here is random: music, sports, art, food, books, news, spiritual musings, weird stories, etc. I'm especially interested in how everyday experiences of life intersect with the ancient stories of Scripture. Thanks for reading.